Elda and Atani
by TreehouseCity
Summary: There are many reasons to why a union between Elf and Man is not very celebrated; for there are, as many have mentioned, hard consequences for such a union. But that does not mean that love was never shared. In regards to unions between Elf and Man, only a select few have been recorded. Not a word has been spoken of common folk; this is one those stories. *UNDER CONSTRUCTION*
1. Chapter 1

Introduction

He remembered that day when they first met; as she stood beneath the golden light of the sun among the rustling trees, flowering plants, and butterflies. When they first made eye contact with each other, it was as if time had stopped and all they could see was the other; all of what they were, the beauty of their spirits, that sparkle of life they held in their eyes.

It was in that moment that he saw what this meeting would bring about; indeed, it did not have the desired ending many wish to have. In truth, much sadness and hurt would come of their meeting. But within the gloom there was light imperishable, overcasting the apparent darkness and remaining alight. So much so that, despite the the feeling of his heart constrict with pain, his spirit leaped out to her and her to his, both without the intention of ever letting go.

According to many, such a love should not have been. Of the Atani she was, and of the Eldar was he. Their fates were too different for a true union of love to be made between the Eruhini, this they both knew and understood. But to walk away from such a meeting, to pretend that it did not happen, would lead to deep regret within their hearts.

With a single, shining smile from the young woman before him, that light grew brighter and his heart was warmed immensely. It coaxed out a smile of his own, one that she would never forget for as long as she lived.

There had been a strong connection between the two souls, one that would be stretched and tried through hurt and trial. A strange and rather uncertain road lay before them, but they'd brave it together.

He was a star, and she a ray of sunlight.

If this was the one whom his soul had chosen to love, then so be it.


	2. Chapter 2

Good Day to You

The young woman's smile grew just a little once the elf before her smiled back. She regained her composure and greeted him with a brief, polite bow, "Good day to you, elf-man."

His heart skipped a beat once she spoke; it was like a melodious harp to his ears, and the warmth he had felt when he saw her smile had increased. He took in a breath to compose himself and offered her a curt nod in greeting, "To you as well, daughter of man."

His voice was deep and as gentle as the breeze that danced with the treetops overhead. The young woman smiled again at the sound of his voice, but it suddenly faltered at the thought that she may have been trespassing on someone else's land. Land which quite possibly belonged to this elf. Is that why he was here?

She had become somewhat frightened at the thought, for she did not want to cause any friction between her kindred and the elves, "My lord, do I trespass?"

The elf chuckled lightly at being addressed as lord, "You need not concern yourself with trespassing, lady." The elf assures, "This land belongs to no one; we are free to roam here, so long as we remain peaceful with one another."

"I see," she sighed in relief, "That is good to hear; I thought I had caused an offense."

It was then that he realized that this woman was with the traveling party of men he had seen a little ways away from the border, wielding gleaming banners and carts full of goods for trade, their songs heard on the wind (though it had been very faint). By the way she was dressed, he had guessed that she was of nobility; she bore a white dress trimmed with gold and blue embroidery, a golden belt about her waist, and a slim circlet around her head.

Breaking the peaceful silence that had befallen them, the elf asked for the maiden's name, to which she answered, "I am called Tanwen. What of you, elf-man? What is your name?"

"Elenion."

Tanwen did a slight head tilt, intrigued by his name, "It is a lovely name. _Elenion_ . . ." she smiled as a chuckle escaped her, "I like that."

The elf (whom we now know as 'Elenion') could not stop or place this _feeling_ that was swirling about in his chest. He found it somewhat difficult to breathe and unknown to him, so did Tanwen; just hearing his voice was almost too much for her.

His logic was desperately trying to pull him away, and yet . . . he could not turn away. He could have said his goodbyes, been off on his merry way and let this meeting become nothing but a distant memory; but he could not do it. He was torn. His rational elvish nature was screaming at him to end this conversation and leave this woman be, for he had foreseen the hurt and trial that would come of this meeting the very moment she looked him in the eye. However, his spirit was extremely adamant on staying to the point where it shut out his reasoning, and he stayed where was. There was something about this woman that greatly intrigued him, and he was _yearning_ to learn more about her. She had this inviting warmth about her that seemed to draw him in the longer he spoke with her.

After speaking with her a little more it was revealed to him that she was indeed part of the approaching party. They had been traveling for a day and half, and for the entire trip she had wanted to explore the land about her and had not been given the opportunity to do so (for her own safety, as her father put it) until today. Though they were in times of peace, her parents were very protective of their children, even though they were not little children anymore, and didn't want either of them roaming around until they reached the borders of their neighboring elven province.

Her older brothers had stayed a little closer to the group while she went on ahead, excited to explore this new land. She had taken a rest stop in the clearing the two now stood in, and that was when Elenion found her while he was on a stroll to be by himself in the peaceful quiet of the wood.

"Are you a noblewoman?" He asked.

Tanwen chuckled, "No, I am not. In fact, among the nobility my family and I are seen as poor." She carefully set herself down onto the grass, not wanting to stain her dress to avoid getting an earful from her mother, "My father serves as captain of Lord Eldred's guard, one of the noblemen. That's about as close as we get to nobility."

"I see," Elenion moved to sit across from her, "By the way you are dressed, I had assumed you were of higher status."

"It is alright," Tanwen smiled, "I understand how you may have thought that. While the dress is beautiful, the belt and circlet are what those of higher rank call 'cheap gold'. But they are mine, fake or not."

Elenion revealed to her then that, he too, was not of nobility. She, too, had assumed that he was of noble blood by how he carried himself; head high and stature tall and proud. In reality, he and his family lived rather simple lives and there was never a dull moment. His mother was a seamstress and his father (a well-known warrior) was gifted in carpentry and other crafts. Erynion, his twin brother, had talent for music while Elenion had a knack for literature and poetry. When he wasn't reading or writing, he'd be found wandering the woods or watching the stars at night.

"Your robe is beautiful," the woman remarked, "Did you make it yourself?"

Elenion smiled, holding down a chuckle. He couldn't sew to save his life! "No, my mother made it; it was a gift for when my brother and I came of age." His robe was a beautiful deep blue, much like the color of his eyes, trimmed with silver and carefully embroidered with gold accents throughout, "My brothers' very much resembles the forest which he loves. But mine is better." He added with a wry smile which elicits a laugh from Tanwen.

The two souls talk for a while longer until the time came for Tanwen to return to her family. They both were disappointed that their time had come to an end, but they quickly found solace in the fact that they would see each other again later in the day as well as throughout the next few weeks. As he rose from his spot on the grass, he gently took Tanwen's hand to help her up.

"Good day to you, Elenion." Tanwen said in farewell after dusting off her dress and cloak.

Elenion smiled and reiterated, "Good day to you, young Tanwen." He stood where he was until Tanwen's form was swallowed up by the trees.


	3. Chapter 3

Changes with Time

He was not entirely sure on what exactly drove him to her. There were many things about her that he had come to love, such as her vigor for life and adventure, or how she spoke of the present and looked to the future instead of lament of times long gone, like much of his kin seemed to do. She held so much hope for times that had yet to come, while many of his kin had little to no hope for it; they were not very friendly to change, many elves weren't. Including himself, to some degree. Yet, within the two weeks he was able to spend with Tanwen, as well as the following year when her people came at certain times during the year, his outlook on life and what lay ahead had gradually changed.

Her hope and surety had rubbed off on him. Well, perhaps it is safe to say that there was not one set thing that drew him to the mortal woman. Everything that she was, from her loving, passionately stubborn personality right down her lively spirit, he found intriguing and he marveled at how she seemed to become more radiant and boisterous as she matured little by little over time. She was beautiful. Full of life. _Forbidden_.

Elenion let out a rather pained sigh at the thought. That was the thing that truly kept him at bay when it came to Tanwen; he was of the Eldar, and she, the Atani. While he remains young she will eventually wither away. The very thought of it brought a great sadness to his heart.

While the Eldest and Youngest were considered to be kin (they were the Eruhini; children of Eru) the mortality of men is what drove the elves away from the Youngest. Well, that is what Elenion chose to believe; many among his elvish kind speak about the greed and wickedness of men with such disdain, as if elves were not capable of the same. As if the race of men were the only ones with such behavior. With many, _that_ is what kept the elves away from men, not just their mortality.

Such talk never bode well among the elves of his province, but they wisely kept their mouths shut from telling them off; instead they would gently (as gently as they could with their hides rubbed the wrong way) remind them of the good that man has done for the Eldest, and that they should not judge the entirety of a race by the misdeeds of those that went awry. Of course, this would never truly sway them, for their mindset of men was deeply rooted to the border of unchangeable.

They simply did not see the race of men in the way that he and his immediate kin of his province did. Elenion held no ill will against them; elves have very good memories, and they had their reasons for their thinking. So, for his own sake, he would let such things go and think of good things. Yes, the Youngest were not perfect, but neither were the Eldest.

From where he sat, in the clearing where he had first met Tanwen during the warmth of spring, a sad smile graced his lips at the thought of her. Within the first year of knowing her, a special place for her had wormed its way into his heart and within the second year, he only grew more attached to the woman. Whenever he heard the songs of her people on the wind, his heart would skip a beat and his spirit jumped for joy within him, for those signs always meant that Tanwen was on her to way to him.

For Tanwen, it was difficult to hide her excitement when the time came for her people to make their trade with their neighboring elves. Most of her time within the elven province was taken by Elenion as he would walk with her around the beautiful structures, buildings, and gardens. Erynion, his brother, almost immediately took a liking to Tanwen and over a short amount of time he was practically her third brother.

However, out of the families of the two souls, their mothers suspected something else under their excitement (of course, you cannot hide _anything_ from a mother). They did not expect anything beyond, at the very least, a friendship between their children. So, the spark between Tanwen and Elenion had been a surprise indeed and they felt mixed emotions for this.

On one hand, when they saw how happy they were in each other's company, it brought them a sense of happiness (for what mother does not want their child to find such a happiness?). On the other hand, they knew that such a relationship would not last long at all, and that the end of it would leave one of them grief stricken either to the point of little relief, or death. That alone frightened Elenion's mother (as well as his father) and while Elenion understood their fears, he could not help what he felt for Tanwen, nor could he ignore it.

He could not and would not pretend that it did not exist, even if that was the preferred choice.

Neither of the two could ignore this feeling. Though they were advised to let whatever it was that they were feeling go, they did not have the strength to do it; it was so deeply rooted within them, even being away from each other for as long as they were was painful. They had kept said pain very well hidden, putting up fronts at keeping any suspicion at bay and perhaps trying to make themselves temporarily forget the pain. Some thought Tanwen to be naive of the weight that her strange relationship with Elenion held, but she knew better. She was not unaware, not in the slightest. But, for the time being, she chose to look past it.

Elenion was very special to her, more than anyone else knew. Whenever she needed to vent about something or just talk, he was there to listen. If she needed something simple, such as a hug (which she had grown to love very quickly; his hugs were the best) he'd give it. He helped her make little crafts here and there whenever the inspiration to do it struck her. Similarly, if Elenion was in the province's library, she'd read with him in a peaceful silence. If he wanted to go for a stroll in the woods, she'd accompany him. She would even write with him, and at the end they'd read each other's stories and poems. Her relationship with him was unlike any other she had had in her lifetime of twenty-two years.

A gentle breeze swayed the trees overhead, scattering spots of sunlight over Elenion as his silver hair tickled his face, and the elf let out a rather impatient huff. He had been waiting for her since morning, and it was nearing late noon now. According to where they had been on the road, they should have been at the province over an hour ago.

 _Where is she?_

Suddenly, the peaceful silence of the forest was broken by laughter on the wind and his spirit practically leaped for joy at the sound. A broad smile lightened his face as her laughter grew closer but it was suddenly cut off by a grunt and a nearby thud. He chuckled to himself as his love emerged from the trees with a smile on her slightly red face, "Stop your chuckling, it wasn't funny." she chided, jokingly.

"Then why do you smile?" Elenion chuckled again.

"This is a smile of relief; meaning I'm happy that you did not see what just happened."

"Mmm, hearing it was enough." he said with a wry smile, which sent Tanwen's heart aflutter.

Hearing him laugh again brought her out of her slight reverie and he asked, "What did you trip over in your haste to see me?"

It was Tanwen's turn to laugh, "Becoming vain, Elenion? I never thought that of you." The elf rolled his eyes in amusement before Tanwen answered his question, ". . . I may or may not have tripped over a log."

Elenion's smile became broader. One of the many things he learned about Tanwen was when she was telling a half truth, for she could never hide the fact that it wasn't entirely truthful. Not that she ever truly meant to lie, it was usually an attempt to get another smile out of him, "A log or perhaps a _stick_?"

He laughed again when Tanwen bit her lip to keep from laughing herself, "Yes, yes, it was a stick." she replied, "But in my defense, it was one of the bigger ones that greatly resemble the branch of a small tree."

Tanwen could not help her smile as Elenion's laughter died down to a light chuckle, and she moved to hug him which he did not hesitate to accept.

"I have missed you, my dearest friend." Tanwen sighed in content, and she felt his frame tremor lightly as he chuckled again and rested his head on top of hers. His chest vibrated softly underneath her head and his deep voice was practically felt within her when he says, "And I missed you, mellon-nin."

The two souls stay in this embrace for a long while until Tanwen slightly leaned away to look him in the eye and questioned in a gentle tone, "You were saddened earlier. Why?"

Elenion pursed his lips and let out a sigh through his nose as he looked away from her golden-hazel gaze. He had been instantly reminded of his earlier musings, and he did not want to think about her withering away within a few short decades, like a wilting flower. Not today.

"I . . . I'd rather not talk about it," he answered in a low voice. It had lost its previous merriment, "At least . . . not today."

Tanwen was silent for a few moments. She wanted to know what had upset him so she could at the very least talk with him about it; it had always worked before. But, whatever was upsetting him this time around seemed to be serious (at least to him) and she did not pry. She hugged his well-built frame again, "Then I will wait."

Elenion was somewhat tentative with this hug, as if she'd break with the slightest touch.

ஜ۩۞۩ஜ

He was a star; his skin pale and hair a silvery white. He was quiet, always listening and observing, but he was lively and bright much like the stars that lit up the sky during the night.

She was a ray of sunlight; her face tanned by years of romping about in the sun. She was lively and full of mirth; inviting, much like the warmth of the sun after the rain or a long winter.

As far as anyone else knew, the sun and the stars did not intermingle. The stars were not seen in the day and the sun had always departed before the stars could truly greet it. The only time that the two were ever present simultaneously was in the hour of twilight, when the sun is departing below the horizon and the stars are gradually making their grand appearance. Even in its departure, the sun remained radiant and wonderful. The stars, though proud of their light and of what they were, longed to see the sun for what it was instead of seeing the end result. But perhaps it was best for them to remain this way, for if they were to see the sun in all of its radiance, they'd get burned.

This was something that Elenion was not prepared for, try as hard as he did. He would not know the severity of the sun's touch until it was too late for him to even think of backing away.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Hello, everyone! I apologize for being so slow with updating this story - school has been the bigger priority, but I'm very close to finishing up which I'm really excited for :D Anyway, Raider-K has kindly suggested that I go back and edit this story, so I've been doing just that off and on for a while now. Again, please don't hesitate with criticism if it will help me improve my writing.**

 **Happy reading! ^-^**

* * *

Happiness

Elenion sighed contentedly as he gently twirled a little white flower between his slender fingers. The weather was wonderful on this day; not too hot with a cooling breeze gently caressing the earth. A smile graced his face.

It had been three years since he first met Tanwen in this very clearing, and today was that exact day. Yes, he had the day recorded. Of course, he had no trouble remembering it, but he simply wanted to be safe.

Tanwen bounced on the balls of her feet, trying her best to keep her excitement under control as she helped her people unload the many carts they had brought full of goods to trade. The labor expended some of her energy, but it quickly built up once all was done. Seeing that her father was busy speaking with a group of men and elves, she searched for her mother who was holding a crate full of finely made vases, and asked her permission to see Elenion. Her mother gave her a smile and granted her leave, but not without a warning her to be careful on her way.

The woman was happy that her beloved daughter found so much happiness with the elf, but she was also saddened. She was not dumb to the consequences of union between the Eruhini, and even after speaking with Tanwen about said consequences, her daughter would reassure her that the relationship she had with Elenion was purely platonic. But the woman knew better. She knew the signs of blossoming love and she also knew that Elenion's feelings towards Tanwen were not platonic. Even if that was the case, the end of it all would still result in grief.

Elenion rose from his spot on the grass and absentmindedly tucked the flower away into his pocket before inclining his head to look up at the impossibly blue sky. He smiled knowingly as puffy white clouds take their time in passing across the expanse of blue.

After a few moments of silence, he looked over is shoulder at the woman behind him who was smiling and steadily watching him with curious eyes. His spirit smiled at the sight of her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, voice deep and gentle.

"Nothing of importance." she answered with a soft chuckle.

Elenion looked thoroughly offended at her words, but there was a hint of a smile on his face, "Ah, so seeing me is of no importance to you, now? I see."

Tanwen grinned and moved to stand beside him, following his line of sight when his gaze shifted back to the sky. "Nonsense, you know I enjoy seeing you."

The elf just hummed in mock skepticism.

The two souls spent the rest of the afternoon outside, on Tanwen's insistence; she had had a deep desire to go exploring again. In Elenion's opinion there wasn't much to explore anymore, for the two had covered most of the province's territory through past adventures and not much ever changed between visits.

But he kept his musings to himself, and obliged for two reasons; the first one being that he could not say no to her. Secondly, he noticed that she still had a lot of energy, such that would not be expended by reading or writing. So, the two set off deeper into the woods, laughter and happiness surrounding them, allowing the two to forget any troubles they may have had beforehand.

Once the sun had run its course and the stars appeared with all of their brilliance, Elenion had to say his goodbyes to Tanwen for the night. After a well accepted hug, the young woman took her leave and Elenion watched as her form was swallowed up by the trees. He let out a sigh through his nose and placed his hands into the pockets of his trousers, and that was when he remembered the little white flower he had been toying with earlier that day. He gingerly removed the flower from his pocket and was almost immediately saddened at the state of it; the edges of the petals had turned completely brown; the only indication that it had been a white flower was that it had retained some of its color near the center. The stem, once a vibrant green, was also brown save for the sepal.

Dark thoughts - those that he had dared to push away numerous times - invaded his mind as logical thinking kicked in. A day would come (much too soon) where he would say his final goodbyes to Tanwen. She could not go with him to the Blessed Realm, and if he were to stay, he would eventually witness her death; she'd either grow old and wither away, much like the flower wilting in the palm of his hand, or she'd get sick, or be slain. The outcome was _always_ death. There would be no more adventures, no reading with her or writing stories and poems, no more of her silly jokes, and her songs would fade along with her. He'd be left to keep those songs alive in Arda's memory; but they would not hold the light of life, not the kind that flowed through every word when Tanwen sang.

And _when_ she dies . . . that's it.

Her smile that he had grown to love so much would be nothing more than a painful memory.

Elenion bit his lip, holding back a sob. He was _not_ going to grieve over Tanwen when she's alive and well, it was foolish!

 _But she_ _ **is**_ _dying._

The elf took in a shaky breath to calm himself as a single, hot tear slid down his cheek from the corner of his eye. A gentle breeze tussled his hair and caressed his face. He had to remind himself that this goodbye was not final. He would see her again within a matter of hours.

 _She still has time._

Tanwen came to a sudden halt when a familiar pang hit her deep within her spirit and a dreadful sense of melancholy and slight despair overcame her. All thought drifted to Elenion. Her brows furrowed in concern at what could possibly be causing him anguish. He was just fine when she had left, what had happened? She turned back to the direction she had come; returning to Elenion had been her immediate response.

However, when she returned to their place where they had exchanged their goodbyes for the night, he was gone. He had left behind nothing but the wind and fireflies.

Months passed, days flew by, and seasons changed since then.

Red, orange, yellow and yellow-green leaves fluttered and danced in the cool breeze on their way down to the cobbled walkway of the guesthouse garden. Elenion walked in a peaceful silence beneath the morning mid-autumn sun with Tanwen's hand in his.

The elf nearly sighed in disappointment when Tanwen let go of his hand, but he countered it with a sweet smile and lingered behind at a slower pace as Tanwen rushed ahead to marvel at a row of beautiful Chrysanthemums. All while he admired her from a small distance.

Elenion's heart fluttered at the grin she gave him, one that coaxed out a pleasant smile of his own. Unknown to him, Tanwen felt as if she were to burst with happiness just from seeing his smile.

As he walked up to her, he laughed at her spluttering when a little orange butterfly nearly flew into her mouth.

"Elenion?" Tanwen piped up after a moment's silence.

"Yes?"

"What is it like, being immortal?"

All was silent again, save for the busyness of Tanwen's people ringing in the distance as they prepared for their departure. Looking away, the elf mulled over her question, "Well, take every aspect of life - the good and the bad - and extend it."

"That is immortality. . ." Tanwen concluded gently with a brief nod.

"Simply put, yes. It is as normal to me as mortality is to you," he then turned to her, "It is a double-edged sword; beautiful yet tragic. Such is life."

"Hmm," Tanwen pursed her lips in thought and for moment she said nothing. Many of her people wished for long life as if it were the most valuable treasure in all of Arda. As a child, she thought it to be a wondrous thing and wondered why the race of Men weren't gifted with it. However, voices of elders and time made her realize that immortality wasn't as wonderful as she had initially imagined. As cruel, grievous, and mundane life can get, she couldn't imagine why immortality was so painstakingly sought after by their ancestors.

"Is that why your kin distance themselves from the world?" Tanwen asked, looking to the elf beside her.

"Predominantly," Elenion answered as he resumed their stroll through the garden. The breeze picked up, swirling the fallen leaves between their feet and across the walkway, "But, because we are all of different mind and experience, I wouldn't say it is the only reason."

To be truthful, there had been many times in the past when Elenion wanted to completely cut himself off from the marred world. However, as soon as those thoughts and feelings would enter his being, something wrathful would overcome him and dispel what that wrath perceived as cowardice. He was part of this world and he would remain part of it until his time was done.

"Elenion . . . are you happy with your lot in this life?" Tanwen asked, almost hesitantly.

The elf just smiled and said, "Yes. There were many rough and grievous spots (such as that are guaranteed with every life), but I am happy with it. Especially now." he added as his smile broadened, which made his love smile back. "What of you, dear Tanwen? Are you happy?"

"I am."

"And when you're not, will you tell me?" He questioned, pinning her with his gaze, but his smile never faltered and his heart was warmed at the sound of her laugh, "Yes, my dearest friend, I will tell you when I am not happy."

Despite having to leave him for another season until their next meeting, Tanwen was happy - he could feel it. And that made _him_ happy.


End file.
